Collaborative Opportunities Working Papers
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Collaborative Opportunities Working Papers Collaborative Feasibility Project Service Cluster: Culture and Leisure Date: 08/06/11 Version: 1.0 FINAL Darlington Borough Council Hartlepool Borough Council V1.0 FINAL Collaboration Feasibility Project: Culture and Leisure 08/06/11 Contents 1 Document Control ................................................................................................. 3 2 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Background ............................................................................................................. 4 2.2 Key Drivers of the Project ...................................................................................... 4 2.3 Guiding Principles ................................................................................................... 4 2.4 Evaluation Criteria .................................................................................................. 6 2.5 Strategic Scope ........................................................................................................ 6 2.6 Progress to Date ...................................................................................................... 6 3 The Current Environment ................................................................................... 7 3.1 Overview ................................................................................................................. 7 3.2 Arts and Events ....................................................................................................... 8 3.3 Museums ............................................................................................................... 11 3.4 Leisure ................................................................................................................... 13 3.5 Libraries .................................................................................................................. 1 4 Potential Opportunities and Operating Model .................................................. 3 4.1 Overview of the potential opportunities .................................................................. 3 4.2 Potential Strategic Operating Model ....................................................................... 5 4.3 Arts & Events .......................................................................................................... 8 4.4 Museums ............................................................................................................... 10 4.5 Leisure ................................................................................................................... 12 4.6 Libraries ................................................................................................................ 15 4.7 Assessment against the Guiding Principles .......................................................... 17 V1.0 FINAL Collaboration Feasibility Project: Culture and Leisure 08/06/11 1 Document Control Version Amendment Detail Author Date V0.1 Initial Draft Abbas Baig 11/05/11 Narrative updates as per feedback from Jerry Gould Market Insights included from Jerry Gould V0.2 Abbas Baig 24/05/11 Structure charts included from Mike Crawshaw Libraries 11/12 Gross Budget included from Graham Jarritt Removed all evaluation criteria and savings estimate sections and created an overarching section for the report V0.3 Updated savings estimates section based upon Abbas Baig 26/05/11 outputs from workshop 26/05/11 Updated evaluation criteria table Updated Summary of proposal section Updates made as per comments from Jerry V0.4 Abbas Baig 27/05/11 Gould V0.5 Updates made as per review comments COMPLETED provided by workshop attendees Abbas Baig 01/06/11 FOR FINAL Report converted from working document into COMMENTS appendix to overarching report. Updates made as per review comments V1.0 FINAL Abbas Baig 08/06/11 provided by workshop attendees 3 V1.0 FINAL Collaboration Feasibility Project: Culture and Leisure 08/06/11 2 Introduction 2.1 Background Darlington Borough Council and Hartlepool Borough Council have agreed to explore the feasibility for collaboration across their organisations. Deloitte has been appointed to help the two authorities to undertake some high‐level, broad‐based work to determine where such collaboration might create significant opportunities for savings / service improvements. The collaboration opportunities identified will comprise one of a range of options that will be considered by both authorities in their response to their current and future financial pressures, Government reforms and local needs. This report documents the work undertaken in examining the collaboration opportunities that exist in relation to the delivery of cultural and leisure services and the findings of that work which will be presented to the Project Board for consideration. 2.2 Key Drivers of the Project Outlined below are the list of key drivers, agreed by both Corporate Management Teams, which set out the reasons for pursing a feasibility study into a strategic collaboration between Darlington and Hartlepool Borough Councils. These are: • Having a sustainable financial future • Supporting democratic accountability and choice • Shaping their own destinies by being ahead of the game • Stimulating and informing wider partnership working across the region: by providing leadership • Optimising outcomes for local people: by retaining a focus on the need of our local communities • Continuing to support sustainable and resilient communities: by remaining committed to our strategic priorities 2.3 Guiding Principles Outlined below are the guiding principles which have been agreed by both Corporate Management Teams. These guiding principles have been used to ensure that the opportunities developed comply with both Councils strategic objectives. Guiding Principle 1: Each Local authority will retain their individual identity and sovereignty Explanation: • The ability of citizens to hold their Members to account must remain paramount • Each authority will define the outcomes for the local population and how these are delivered 4 V1.0 FINAL Collaboration Feasibility Project: Culture and Leisure 08/06/11 • Investment priorities and service levels will continue to be determined locally • Members have the choice to standardise or customise services, with a clear understanding of the costs and benefits of the decisions they make • It will be critical to recognise the difference between who is accountable for a service versus who is providing a service • Statutory responsibilities will not be undermined Guiding Principle 2: Collaboration is not limited to Darlington and Hartlepool Explanation: • While the feasibility of collaboration between the two authorities is being tested, it is not the only option • Opportunities could include other authorities • Opportunities could include other public organisations • The benefits or disbenefits of collaboration between the Councils will be looked at on a service‐by‐service and thematic basis rather than “all or nothing” • At the same time, the collective benefit of strategic collaboration through synergies will be evaluated Guiding Principle 3: The authorities enter this process with a positive view of collaboration Explanation: • Strong leadership and clear direction will be key to ensure this study delivers an robust and balanced set of conclusions for consideration • The output of this project will be a strategic assessment of opportunities, symbolising the start of a decision making process, not the end. The timeframes and level of information available are proportionate to the status of the project and require a measure of pragmatism • Individuals who have been involved in transformation should be encouraged to champion the principle of collaboration during this study • It remains clear that ‘doing nothing’ is not an option for either authority. Guiding Principle 4: Collaboration must deliver demonstrable additional benefits to working separately Explanation: • Collaboration will create a renewed level of resilience within each local authority. A resilient organisation will have the right skills, the right capacity and the critical mass to deal with future pressures • Collaboration will deliver the expected level of financial benefits required to mitigate the financial risks projected 5 V1.0 FINAL Collaboration Feasibility Project: Culture and Leisure 08/06/11 • Collaboration will create the robustness to mitigate operational risks • Opportunities will consist of a combination of service‐specific opportunities as well as cross‐cutting opportunities / synergies 2.4 Evaluation Criteria These guiding principles will be evaluated to determine the extent to which the opportunities deliver against the key drivers of this project. The key questions to be answered for each opportunity are as follows: 1) To what extent does the option meet our key drivers? 1.1) Sustainable financial future 1.2) Supporting democratic accountability and choice 1.3) Shaping our own destiny 1.4) Stimulating and informing wider partnership 1.5) Optimising outcomes for local people 1.6) Sustainable and resilient communities 2) To what extent does each Council retain its sovereignty? 3) To what extent does the option bring additional benefits? 4) To what extent does the option support each Authority’s strategic design principles? 2.5 Strategic Scope It was agreed by the Corporate Management Teams of both